Renovation
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The brickworks was given a new lease of life in the early 1990s thanks to a happy brainwave by the Asolo section of Confartigianato (General Federation of Italian Artisans and Craftsmen), which proposed giving it back, through renovation, the symbolic and economic central role that it had played for so long in the area.
Having acquired the ownership of the real estate area, an open ideas competition was announced for the renovation design, which saw the participation of a significant number of well-known architects. The award criteria were clear and transparent and the competition was unexpectedly won by a young and as then unknown professional: Radames Zaramella from Mogliano Veneto.
The development was made possible by the subsequent formation of a public-private consortium, that is, a public-private partnership between Confartigianato and local municipal authorities, which managed to amass the necessary co-financing by drawing on regional, national and community resources in various stages. The first stage of the work was carried out between 1998 and 1999 and resulted in approx. 2000 sq.m space dedicated to offices, shows/exhibitions, meetings and various services.
The second stage started in 2003 and finished in 2005 and involved the construction of a new building alongside the main body of the old brickworks, designed to house a business incubator and new spaces for cultural events and training.
The materials used in the restoration work looked to local building traditions and respected the old industrial origin of the building. The new and the renovated parts were connected by glazed panels, which emphasizes the bond between old and new. The constructional choices, as in the case of the imposing chimney, were made trying to change the existing structures as little as possible so as to harmoniously combine the needs for conservative restoration with those of interpretative restoration.
The building work required an investment of approximately ten million euros of public and private money, financing aimed first and foremost at accomplishing an ambitious idea, the distinctive building complex being almost a secondary factor.
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